


The Hidgens-Carter family

by robertstanion



Category: Hatchetfield Universe - Team StarKid
Genre: Backstory, College, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Mild Homophobia (mentioned), PEIP (mentioned), Parties, Trans Character, and that's coming from ME, asshole acknowledgment, ethan green can't do math, henry and tony are siblings, henry hidgens' parents' a+ parenting, hi chadgens walked so mcnamander can run, kicking out, lots of homosexuality in this fic, mcnamander appears for one line i swear, mild transphobia (not on screen), the football field, tony green can't do math, tony marries gregs daughter, trans chad, workin boys (mentioned)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28538733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robertstanion/pseuds/robertstanion
Summary: After Henry Hidgens got kicked out, the last thing he expected was to be introduced to the five other guys who'd change his life. The sixth one, however, would be the one to stay in his life permanently. this is their story.
Relationships: Chad/Henry Hidgens, Hot Chocolate Boy/Cineplex Kid, Lex Foster/Ethan Green, Mark/Leighton, Tony Green/female oc, Xander Lee/John McNamara (background)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	The Hidgens-Carter family

**Author's Note:**

> yo this is my first fic of 2021 and honestly? no better way. 
> 
> i hope u enjoy bcs im tired and need sleep and have procrastinated so hard. 
> 
> also this is "jay has a gender crisis" in fic form. enjoy !!

Roaming down the streets of Hatchetfield in the middle of 1973, the majority of his belongings in a bag that he had thrown over his shoulder had not been how Henry Hidgens had wanted to start off the New Year. He’d been sleeping when his father had burst into his bedroom and found his diary. All his hidden feelings, every secret he had to keep away suddenly spilled out of the leather encased book like some sort of weird explosion. He’d woken up to a slap across the face. The man had hurled abuse at him for little to no supposed reason until Henry had heard the word he’d dreaded the most. His parents now knew he was gay, which resulted in him wandering down the dimly lit streets of Hatchetfield in search of one of his friends.

Gregory ‘Greg’ Mickelson-Green was Henry’s first (and only) friend. He’d done a lot for Henry. When his parents were drunk, he gave Henry a room at his parents’ place when he still lived there. When Henry needed dating advice, Greg was the person he could turn to. For advice with schoolwork, Greg may not be the best at calculations or things along a similar path, though he gave it a good crack to assist his friend however he could. Henry knew that Greg had recently moved out of his parents’ house and lived somewhere near the community college, which Henry had been accepted into recently. He hoped he wasn’t intruding too much.

The 18-year-old thought it’d be easy enough to locate the house. It was in a fairly rich part of the island, and so it shouldn’t be hard to depict it. Greg had a lot of money as well, for the time period. He never boasted about it, though. He was a good friend with a golden heart, even if that golden heart was extremely dumb. But it was Greg, and Henry knew he could rely on him no matter what. However, with the island being incredibly dark, he couldn’t see what was in front of him, let alone any other houses.

Just as he was losing hope with the belief if he shut his eyes once more, he’d be sleeping on the street, he found the place. It wasn’t anything majestic, but it was _large._ A gothic manor, of sorts, and Henry found himself thinking, _how the hell has he afforded this?_ Either way, the small spark of hope that lit up in his chest forced him forward. In his worn-down sneakers and his oversized sweater, he knocked furiously on the door. He waited, praying silently that Greg would answer the door.

Inside, there was the faint noise of some sort of music, and he could see lights start to turn on. Henry neatened himself up, the heavy doors opening to see the familiar face of blonde haired, varsity jacket-ed Greg Mickelson-Green. He leant against the doorframe and furrowed his eyebrows, pulling back his sleeve to look at his watch. “Henry Hidgens it is _3_ in the morning, what the _fuck_ are you doing here?”

“Uh, funny story-“ He couldn’t say the words _I got kicked out for being gay_ because he wasn’t entirely out to Greg either, so he gestured to his bag, and watched Greg’s blue eyes widen drastically.

“They kicked you out?!”

“Pretty much…” The brunette rubbed the back of his neck, dropping his eyes to the floor, and felt an arm wrap around his shoulders, pulling him into the warm. The doors closed and Henry looked around. “You’re not exactly the kind for a gothic manor, are you?”

“It’s supposedly haunted, and I got it cheap.” Greg shrugged before cupping Henry’s face, checking him over for injuries.

“Oh. You probably want a list of what they did to me, don’t you?” He winced as Greg accidentally tugged on his arm. “Dad beat me…slapped me across the face to wake me up and- ouch!” He pulled his arm back and looked up to Greg, who looked at him sympathetically.

“I’ll get a room set up for you. For now, me and my roommates are having some sort of gathering in the living room.”

“Oh…if you have people around I don’t wanna be a bother-“

“Henry.” Greg said sternly and held his friend’s shoulders gently. “It isn’t a bother. You’re one of ‘em now.” He let go of Henry, and after checking over him that he was okay, he set off towards the living room where Henry followed.

Upon the way, Henry couldn’t help but notice how regal the building he was currently walking through was. Black tiled floors with a tall, winding staircase…this would’ve costed a fortune, and somehow Greg got it for _cheap?!_ That couldn’t be true. Maybe it was a relatives? Then again, Greg had no other relatives aside from his parents. Henry found himself to be shook out of his slight trance when Greg put his hand on his shoulder again. At it, Henry looked inside to see another four people all sat in front of the TV. Hesitantly, Henry found himself walking inside, and it soon turned heads.

“Hey! Who’s this guy?!” A guy with ginger hair asked, his arm slung another member, who looked towards Henry.

“Is this a guy for Steve?” He asked, and a guy on the other side of the man punched him. Henry assumed that one was Steve.

“Shut _up_ Mark!” He hissed, before looking at Greg. “Seriously. Who _is_ the new guy?”

“Guys, this is Henry Hidgens. Henry, this is Stuart ‘Stu’ Lee, Steve Bridges, Mark Kent and Leighton Farnell.” Greg stepped in and furrowed his eyebrows. “Where’s-“

“Getting stoned.” Stu said, gesturing behind him to a garden where, under the porch light, a man with long, dark brown hair sat in a leather jacket. “Parent issues. It’s best to leave him for now.”

Greg nodded and wrapped his arm around Henry, gesturing to the man outside. “That’s Chad. Chadwick Carter. He’s a beautiful soul, but…just be careful with him. Beautiful doesn’t always mean strong.” He said and gently shook his head, patting Henry’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get a room set up for ya.” Greg mock-saluted to the rest of the boys who all mumbled a goodbye, leaving Henry to follow Greg up the winding staircase to the upper floor, where he walked to the room at the end of the corridor.

He stepped inside and was immediately taken aback by it. On the back wall was a window that overlooked the garden. The walls were cream, and on top of there being a window where Henry could read in, he also had room to grow plants if necessary. The bed was against the left wall and there was a desk nearby it. All in all, it was a very nice room, and Henry was very lucky to snag it. “It’s all yours buddy.” Greg said and looked at Henry. “I take it you wanna sleep. I’ll wake you at 2 in the afternoon, kay?”

Henry chuckled but pulled his sweater off, letting it drop beside the bed that he’d approached while examining the room. “Sounds good, Greg.”

“Get some rest. I’ll see ya tomorrow.” He offered a small smile and closed the door leaving Henry to climb into the bed, immediately falling asleep.

* * *

Henry didn’t meet Chad until he turned 19. The man hid himself away very well, so Henry never got the chance to see him, let alone encounter with him. He heard the other boys talking to him, but not once did he hear Chad’s voice or see the mysterious figure the brown hair belonged to. That was until one fortunate day when he was revising in the living room, a cup of tea beside him. He thought he was home alone while the other boys went out to the football field, until someone else walked downstairs.

Henry’s eyes looked up from the top of the computer to see _the_ most beautiful man he’d ever seen in his life. His long brown hair, which was the first thing he’d noticed, was tied into a neat braid that hung over his right shoulder. He wore a grey shirt and black jeans as well as the leather jacket Henry had first seen him in. He also had beautiful, tanned skin and faint freckles. The man, Chad, looked at him before sighing. “So, _you’re_ Hidgens.”

“I-“ he cleared his throat. “I’m Henry Hidgens…and I take you’re Chad?”

“Apparently.” Chad stepped into the kitchen and reached into the cupboards, grabbing a water bottle, filling it up with some sort of juice. Then, to Henry’s surprise, he took a seat pretty much beside him on the couch. “You in the community college?” Henry, starstruck, forced out a muffled _yes_ and Chad raised an eyebrow. “What’s your major?”

“Uh…Biology and Musical Theatre.” There was a brief silence, so Henry continued to fill it. “You probably think that that’s _really_ dumb, but I really like musical theatre and I wanna be a performer one day, full time. Uh, my parents made me sign up for biology because uh, well, they kept saying musical theatre was ‘too gay’ but uh, it’s fairly ironic because _I’m_ gay and uh, if they hadn’t found that out then I’d…be at home right now.”

“You got kicked out?” Chad asked, looking at him, sitting on the back of the couch, taking a sip of his water bottle, and Henry nodded, his sigh weighing the other boy down.

“Yep. At 1:46. I ended up here around 3, Greg said.”

“Huh. Weird. I’m usually up at that time. Why didn’t I see you?” Chad asked, putting his water bottle on the small table beside the couch, putting his hands in his lap, and Henry shrugged.

“Mark said you were stoned.”

“That’s probably why.” Chad laughed and ran a hand over his hair, continuing to look at the screen that Henry was using. “I am also majoring in Biology and Musical Theatre. I guess we got really unlucky. Which class are you in?”

“Professor Hall’s for Musical Theatre, Professor Arris’ for Biology.”

“Oh shit, wait. No, I’m Professor Millen’s for Musical Theatre and Professor Arris’ for Biology. The 9 AM on a Tuesday?”

“Yeah!” Henry said and finally turned to look at Chad, having to ignore the sparks in his stomach. “You in that one too?”

“I sure am.” He said and smiled at Henry. “Hey. I guess we’re not so different after all.” He ruffled Henry’s curly brown hair and pushed Henry’s glasses on his nose as he hopped off the couch, heading back to the couch. “You eaten?”

“Uh…” Henry checked the time. As a matter of fact, he had not.

“Catch.” Chad said and threw an apple at Henry, who caught it with ease.

“Uh, thank you?”

“Don’t mention it.” He said and began preparing a meal, placing it in the oven, pulling a small bag out of his pocket. “Right. I’m going to get stoned. I’ll see you in about…half an hour, give or take.” Henry chuckled to himself as Chad left to go and sit on the porch. He must have been in some sort of daze, for he didn’t notice the other boys walk back in until Mark waved his hand in front of Henry’s face.

“Earth to Henry Hidgens!”

Once Henry realised he wasn’t alone, he turned to face the boys. “What’s up?” Slight giggles came from the group, and Steve spoke up.

“I see you met Chad?” The dark-haired man asked, raising an eyebrow, and Henry furrowed his eyebrows.

“How could you tell?”

“One, he’s on the porch, two, you’re blushing like crazy.” Steve continued, and Henry’s hand raised to his cheeks. Funnily enough, his face was burning. He blushed harder, which made Greg laugh harder. “Don’t worry, Henry. Every one of us has crushed on Carter at _least_ once. It’s normal.” He clapped Henry on the back, causing him to flinch, before the group continued with whatever else they were intending on doing.

* * *

After that, Henry and Chad started running into each other more often, and it wasn’t until Stu pointed it out to him that whenever Chad was around _him_ of all people, he became this flirtatious person. According to the others, that never happened. Chad usually was a very flirty person, but according to everyone else, he never flirted directly at any singular one of the boys. Henry couldn’t help but feel honoured towards that. So, he started to up his game, and found himself beginning to flirt back, though subtly. He accepted his crush on Chad very early on, and getting to flirt with him was one of the bonuses that came with it.

What wasn’t a bonus was, when the boys were out partying in the dead of night, and Henry hears sobbing coming from a nearby room. At that point, as Henry settled in further to the house, it had been around…a year and a half since he’d been kicked out, so just over a month since he’d met Chad. This also meant that it was their second year in college, and they’d soon be leaving, unless he decided to take the extra two years. He would only plan to if Chad was. He didn’t want Chad to leave his life.

But, in the middle of the revision session, he hadn’t expected to hear the sobs. Cautiously, he kicked back the covers and opened his door, locating which room it was coming from. It wasn’t Greg’s, because Greg never cried, and if he did, it was silent and threatened to murder anyone who bought it up. It wasn’t Stu’s or Steve’s. Their doors were open a fragment. It wasn’t Leighton’s room either, and Mark’s room had been abandoned for months at that point due to his and Leighton’s relationship. Which meant it was Chad.

He’d never been in Chad’s room, but from what he could imagine, it would look like how a typical stoner’s room would look like. Probably a drawer filled with weed, and possibly some of it growing as well. He wasn’t entirely sure if he could grow weed in his room, he didn’t know _how_ to grow weed and he didn’t want to find out. Maybe he was about to find out. Maybe.

He knocked softly, and the sobbing came to an abrupt halt, followed by a very raspy voice. “Fuck off, Henry…”

Henry knew that voice well enough. It was a voice that wanted to be strong, that wanted to be able to cope on it’s own, but needed someone, or, more importantly, the someone they were pushing away. He knew that, because he’d heard it in his own voice many a time. So, he found himself pushing down on the handle, and stepping inside. He didn’t look around the room. It looked mostly like his own, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that he was there for Chad, whether he wanted him to be or not. Henry walked forward, placing his hands in his hoodie pockets and gestured vaguely beside Chad on the bed.

Chad, who hadn’t looked at Henry, nodded and shuffled over, waiting for Henry to sit himself down. He had his jacket wrapped tightly around him, tears still running down his face, as he kicked something under the bed.

“I didn’t take you for a crier,” Henry admitted, looking to his friend. “I never took you for the type.”

“My parents demanded a meeting with Professor Millen.” He started, his voice shaking. “They wanted to know how theatre was gonna benefit my courier. And I…I got outed.”

“Shit, man…” Henry said and looked at him.

“I watched as their jaws clenched, and after they pulled me out of the room and out of the building…and my dad started punching the fuck outta me and…” He swallowed, his breath coming out as a sob when he exhaled. “He kept saying, when he was beating me up, ‘we adopted a girl. Nothing else. If we wanted a son, we’d have a son.’” He listened, waiting to see if Henry would comment on it. Nothing. He couldn’t tell if that was a good thing of a bad thing. “They dropped my things off 20 minutes ago. I’ve got nothing.”

“Chad, that isn’t true.” Henry said, looking directly at him, and he wiped his eyes, turning to face him.

“Yes, Henry, it is. At least you have the boys. Me and the boys…I don’t _feel_ as if I’m friends with them half the time. I’m always something to be laughed _at._ I hear what they say, and I don’t remember the last time they referred to me as my name and not _stoner._ I use the weed as a fucking escape.” He looked away from Henry. “I’m just the pretty boy of the group. And…I’m not even a boy.”

“Yes, you are.” Henry carefully cupped his face and turned it to face him. “You’re Chadwick Carter. You’re the coolest guy I know. And I am not just saying that. Yeah, I mean, Greg is one of my only friends, but he is a bit of a dick and I acknowledge it. He’s so full of himself. Mark and Leighton, they’ve been down each other’s throats lately. Stu…Stu’s okay. I like Stu a lot. And Steve. They’re cool. But you…you’re different. A really good different.” He moved closer to him and wiped a tear that had fallen. “It doesn’t matter if you’re trans, or if you’re adopted. That’s never mattered to me. It doesn’t define who you are. You are one of the most talented people I know. You’re gorgeous.” There was brief silence between the two of them before Henry blinked. “I’m very close to you, do you want me to back away-“ but he was pulled closer. Before he knew it, Chad’s lips were pressed against his. It felt natural for Henry to kiss him back.

They pulled away shortly after, but the feeling lingered on both of their faces. Henry opened his eyes, looking into Chad’s deep brown ones. A slight laugh managed to escape from Chad’s lips as he moved forward and collapsed against Henry’s chest. Henry, expectedly, brushed his hand through Chad’s hair. “What are we, Henry?” He asked, looking up at him.

Henry shrugged. “If it was entirely up to me, I’d like to say boyfriends. But…I’m alright if you’re not ready for that.”

Chad shook his head and wrapped his arms around Henry. “We’re boyfriends.”

Henry smiled and kissed Chad’s forehead, staying sat up for a little while, unsure of what to say. He’d never been in a relationship before, so it was significantly harder for him than it appeared to be for Chad. But, Chad allowed himself to get lost in Henry’s touch. After a little while, Chad spoke up once again.

“Can we keep this between us? For now. Please. I don’t…I’m not quite sure I’m ready to tell everyone about me, that’s all. About _us._ I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“We don’t have to tell anyone.” Henry reassured, his voice at a quiet level. “I’m not going to push you to a level that makes you uncomfortable. It can stay between us. We’ll just keep…to what we had.”

“That sounds…really, really nice…thank you, Henry.”

“I would literally do anything for you. I hope you realise.”

They stayed there, making small talk with each other, Chad in Henry’s arms. Eventually, Henry felt his boyfriend losing his strength, and noticed how his yawning occurred more frequently. By the time he was borderline sleeping, Henry placed him back in his bed and tucked him in. A final kiss placed on his forehead and a final _goodnight,_ he walked back to his room, his heart light.

* * *

Nobody found out about him and Chad for the remainder of college. Some of the boys left college after the two years and moved out soon after that. Eventually, it came down to the news that Greg was moving out of his house to move in with his girlfriend, and that the house now belonged to Henry. They promised to keep in touch, but it was the last thing on Henry’s mind. He raced up the stairs excitedly, told Chad that they had the house, and Chad’s eyes lit up.

Over the course of the next few years, they created a plan of what their house would look like. They settled for a black, red and white theme. They kept the tiled floors, but the carpets became a soft brown that fit into their lavish theme. With Henry recently joining the community college as a biology professor, they dedicated a room to his plant work as well, one that used to be Greg’s bedroom. It turned into his greenhouse, and over the years, it fit.

But, on one sunny morning in 1976, Henry got a phone call. Chad was wrapped around him and groaned out at the rude awakening. He nudged Henry. “Phone,” he mumbled before burying back into his neck. Henry picked up the phone and held it to his ear.

“Hello?” He asked, half awake, only to hear a lady’s voice on the other side of the line.

_“Hello, I am Wendy Peterson, and I am ringing on behalf of your parents.”_

“Oh?” Henry asked, opening his eyes, staring at his ceiling. “And what’d be the problem _with_ my parents?”

_“They were in a car wreck earlier this morning. Neither of them survived.”_

Henry blinked at the news, gently pushing Chad off of him, sitting himself up. He ran a hand through his dyed-silver hair, biting on his nail. “Fuck...”

_“Though they left nothing to you in their will, they recently had a baby boy.”_

The biology professor felt his heart beginning to pound at that. He had a brother. And not only that, a baby brother. “Right…”

_“Originally, we were thinking of placing him in an orphanage, but we had a look at your parents records and found that you were their next of kin. If you are willing to, we are able to drop off this unnamed baby and he will legally be in your care.”_

Henry took a shaky breath, but he didn’t need to think twice. He spoke his address, said his goodbyes, and pushed back the covers. Chad groaned in protest more and sat up. “Henry…it’s cold.”

“I know it’s cold, but I’ve gotta get ready.” He rushed over to his and Chad’s shared wardrobe, grabbing his appropriate clothing of a black turtleneck, a blazer and tanned pants. He changed and turned back to Chad. “Because my parents are dead.”

“You’re going to their funeral?” The other man asked, his voice hoarse from just waking up, and Henry shook his head.

“They had a baby boy. He’s in my care.” At that note, the doorbell rang downstairs. Henry offered an apologetic smile to Chad before racing down the staircase, reaching the front door. After a half hour conversation with the lady, and a lot of carry furniture, Henry signed the form that put the newly named _Antonio Marcus Hidgens_ in his custody. He walked up the stairs and sat back on the bed, cradling his sleeping brother in his arms. Born in May of that year, he was only three months old. If it hadn’t been for one of his old neighbours, he’d have died alone.

Chad flipped on his side, and upon seeing the sleeping baby in his boyfriend’s arms, his eyes widened. “I thought you were joking!”

“Shh!” Henry hissed sharply at him, before his looks softened. “Sorry…”

“Your brother?”

“The…very same, apparently.” He stroked the little amount of hair that Tony had growing on his head and smiled.

“What’s his name?”

“Antonio. But I’m gonna call him Tony as a nickname.”

“Well, for a baby, dear, it suits him very nicely.” Chad wrapped his arms around Henry and leaned on his shoulder as Tony started to stir. He looked up at the two of them and gurgled happily, flailing his chubby arms around as if he were waving. Henry looked up at Chad and his smiled widened.

“I think I love him.”

* * *

Watching Tony grow up had set back Henry’s plans in a somewhat way. But, somehow, he managed to get Tony through his several years of schooling. He managed to keep his baby brother out of danger the most that he could, and he tried for Chad…but then Chad signed up for the military.

Chad signed up when a new branch started circulating around under the name of Paranormal Extra-terrestrial Interdimensional Phenomena. Or, PEIP, as Chad liked calling it. Soon enough, with a limited task force, Colonel Chadwick Carter began working alongside Colonel Wilbur Cross, Colonel Holloway and Colonel Hill. Henry had no idea why there were so many colonels, but the job made Chad happy. That was more than enough.

He got to visit PEIP a lot, and, together, they built a tunnel that led from Chad’s workplace to the basement at their house so, when Henry was off shift and Chad wasn’t, they could check up on each other. This went on for so long, and somehow, not once did they ever get caught.

Tony grew up quicker than Henry wanted him to. He struggled in school, unlike his brother, and couldn’t get his head around Maths. Henry soon learned that the only reason his brother struggled so badly was simply because he wasn’t book smart. He was street smart. His brother landed a job at a local mechanics when he was 17 and absolutely adored it. The family found their passions, Chad’s being the military, Henry’s being musical theatre, and Tony’s being mechanics.

When Tony was 19, he bought his girlfriend home. She had sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was pale, and though she wasn’t the standard ‘slim blonde’ that had started circulating around to be society’s ideal type, the love in Tony’s eyes was undeniable. She had a small bandage over her nose, but Henry didn’t want to push as to why. Tony, the tall, lanky man that he was, tripped over his own feet showing the girl around, but instead of mocking him, she burst out laughing.

Henry and Chad got their proper introduction when the house tour was finished. The young lady sat neatly on the couch, and she introduced herself before Tony got a chance to. “Hi, Sarah Mickelson-Green.” She beamed and extended a hand, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Henry took her hand and shook it politely, but Chad’s silence was deafening.

“Chad, dear. What’s up?” Henry asked as he pulled away, before Chad’s face cracked out into a smile.

“Sarah…your father doesn’t happen to be a sports coach at Hatchetfield High named Greg, does he?”

“Yeah!” She said and smiled before her expression turned to one of confusion. “Wait, how did you know that?”

“We went to school with him. Didn’t we?” Chad asked and turned to Henry, who was equally as confused.

“Who?”

“Varsity jackass Greg.”

“Oh! What about him?” Henry furrowed his eyebrows before Chad gestured to Sarah.

“That’s his daughter.”

Sarah chuckled and shrugged. “Trust me. I ain’t nothin like my dad. I mean, I love him but he’s so… _sporty._ And I…” she gestured to her figure. “Am not!”

“But you’re gorgeous and I love ya.” Tony said and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her cheek. “She’s gonna stay the night. That’s okay, right Hen?”

“Do what you want, Tone. I can’t fuckin’ control you.” He said and Tony grinned, standing, twirling Sarah around, before the two of them raced up the stairs. Henry wrapped his arm around Chad and cuddled him close. “That could have been us if the times were more exciting.”

Chad leaned his head on Henry’s shoulder and nodded. “It sure could have been.”

* * *

Tony and Sarah got married at 22. It was the first time, since college, that Henry and Chad saw Greg. He was still as agile looking as he had been back in college, but he had a sense of pride when he walked Sarah down the aisle. Tony cried, and Sarah laughed at him. It wasn’t a petite laugh. It was an obnoxious roar that was contagious, but it didn’t matter. The two were happy. But at the end of the day, Mr and Mrs Mickelson-Green, or _Tony Green_ in Tony’s case, left happy. Tony only changed his name because he didn’t want the reminder of who his parents were, and had also heard some negative information about the _Mickelson_ side of the Mickelson-Greens.

They tried for a baby not long after. When all seemed to fail, they got their miracle. But with their miracle came a devastating tragedy. It started out small at first, but it got a little worse over time, and they almost lost Sarah during childbirth. When Tony bought little Ethan Henry Green home, he looked tired, and not just physically. “She almost didn’t make it,” he said quietly, not taking his eyes off of his son. “She’s gettin’ worse.”

Henry pulled his younger brother in for a hug, and he cried. It seemed that he’d bottled it up, he cried hard. Henry hated hearing his brother so upset. Hearing him was worse than seeing him crying. The professor made a promise to his younger brother that no matter what happened, he’d be there for him, he’d be there for Sarah, and he’d be there for his nephew, who was now looking up at them with bright blue eyes. Ethan opened his mouth in a smile like shape, holding out his chubby little arms to Henry. Henry remembered how Tony had done the same things when he’d first lay eyes on himself and Chad, and he told it to Tony, who cracked a laugh. “He’s definitely your son.”

“He’s…definitely mine…” he said, his breath barely a whisper as he handed Ethan over to his older brother. “Um…where’s Chad?”

“Throwing up, most likely.” Henry admitted as he cooed at Ethan in his arms, who waved his little hands at his uncle, and Henry sighed as he looked back to Tony. “He’s refusing to go to the doctors.”

“Do you know what’s wrong with him?”

“I have my…suspicions.” He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. “He won’t listen, though. He’s stubborn.”

“You both are.” Tony said and Henry nodded.

“But I know I’m right. He hates it when he’s wrong, so he won’t listen.”

* * *

Henry was right, as he usually was. Having a baby at 45 years old hadn’t been on their plans either. But, when Oliver Carter-Hidgens was placed in Chad’s arms, everything seemed to melt away, and it was only the three of them in the hospital room. Chad cried a lot as he lay exhausted against Henry’s chest. The three days of labour took it out of him. Looking down at Oliver, though, Henry could see the love that swirled in Chad’s eyes. The months of dysphoria, the breakdowns, the belief they’d be failures as parents…it vanished.

Together, they watched as Ethan and Ollie were bought up together. As with Tony, Henry helped the both of them as much as he could. Ollie took on Henry’s interest in biology and Chad’s obnoxious behaviour. Ethan couldn’t spell, or do math, or anything really, but that boy could play the guitar as if it were nothing. He could also sketch. Seeing his son and his nephew grow up, it was more than Henry could have ever asked for.

Sarah lived. Though there were instances she had to be rushed to hospital, she fought back, and she survived, which was a weight off of Tony’s shoulders. It also meant Sarah got to watch her own nephew and son grow up into tall, lanky clones of their fathers. Ethan became a spitting image of Tony, minus the straight hair. It was dark and curled, and his eyes were the same spitting green that Sarah’s were. Ollie became tall and lanky as well and gained Henry’s hair, but Chad’s eyes. He also adopted Henry’s need for glasses. However, Ethan took on Chad’s motorcycle-esque behaviour with the leather jacket and the messy style, but Ollie took on Henry’s. Either way, their influence was enough for them to be good enough kids.

Ethan dropped out of high school with his girlfriend, Lex. They had big plans, the two of them, to get to California, and they were determined to get there. Henry had no doubts, and leant Ethan money if he needed it without asking to be paid back. He didn’t need to be paid back. Ollie also introduced his own boyfriend, Lucas, to his two dads, and Chad practically cried out of relief that their son had found someone who accepted him. He knew Ollie had a hard time making friends, so for Ollie to be in a loving relationship was good enough.

The next time Chad cried was on his birthday. His 47th birthday. Henry walked downstairs in a starry dark blue robe, running a hand through his messy grey hair, Ollie excitedly rushing down as well. He ensured that the main present would be opened until last. Without Chad knowing, Henry scheduled for Chad’s top and bottom surgery, and paid the full cost. It was worth it when Chad read the forms and started sobbing like he’d done in their dorm room all those years ago. He’d been on testosterone as soon as he could, which had been about eight years at that point, and he grew into a handsome man. Not that he wasn’t.

The surgeries were successful, and when Chad awoke, he saw not just Henry by his bedside, but Greg Mickelson-Green, Steve Bridges, Stuart Lee, Mark Kent and the newly wedded Leighton Kent.” They all caught up in the hospital, even if Chad was drowsy when they did. Greg spoke about how him, Henry and Chad were related. Mark and Leighton boasted about their wedding. Steve spoke about how he still worked at CCRP after it transitioned from being the Hatchetfield Gazette to Coven Communications Research and Power and worked on the floor above a group of people with a lot of interesting facts about them.

“Yeah, so Paul’s pining for this barista down at Beanies, I think her name’s Emma or something? Charlotte wants a divorce from her husband, who’s cheating on her with Emma’s co-worker according to Paul from what I’ve heard, but Charlotte is cheating on her husband with Ted. Ted flirts with everybody, including Bill who _just_ got divorced from his wife.”

“Yeah, he’s my cousin.” Stu said, clearing his throat. “And divorce seems to run in the family…”

“Yeah, sorry man.” Greg clapped a hand over Stu’s shoulder. “Don’t ya have a son?”

“Oh? Yeah, yeah I do. He’s a…theoretical physicist at some military base.”

“PEIP. Cuz I work at PEIP and I know Xander. He’s the _only_ theoretical physicist and he’s good at his job.” Chad mumbled, and Henry smiled down at him.

“Yeah, Xander’s my boy. He and his boyfriend just got married actually. He’s a McNamara-Lee now. He married his boss.”

“Ah! General McNamara! I didn’t know they were dating. I’m actually offended. Can you tell Xander the next time you see him that I want to know everything about his and John’s relationship.” Chad asked, looking at Stu with half opened eyes, and he nodded.

“I’ll message him.” Stu smiled before Mark spoke up.

“So, everyone’s getting married except you two…when’s the wedding?” He asked, and the other five chimed in with similar things. Chad rolled his eyes and looked up to Henry.

“We’re getting married after Ollie’s graduated high school, when we can find an appropriate venue for Sarah’s wheelchair as well.” Henry said, before Chad punched his arm.

“We’ll get married at home. It seems easy enough.”

* * *

They got married in the summer of 2019. Apparently PEIP had been investigating some sort of cases under the subfile of _Nightmare Time,_ chad had said, but he wasn’t involved in it. Stu officiate the wedding, and the families of their friends and own families turned up. Needless to say, the Hidgens-Carter wedding was one to remember, especially after what they’d been through.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope u enjoyed. i'd die for them. r u aware. i would DIE for them
> 
> comments and kudos appreciated !!! plz jks only leave one if u want to


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